Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic Watch Review
The Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic was recently unveiled at Geneva Watch Days. This model’s release reminds the Lancastrian horophile of his first meeting with the brand back in 2019. Angus Davies discusses past Delma models he’s worn, before sharing his opinions on this latest model from Lengnau.
Delma – first impressions
I remember seeing Delma’s products for the first time at Baselworld 2019. That year, the brand was receiving journalists in a function room at the Pullman Hotel on Clarastrasse. My schedule was typically chaotic, but I was keen to see the independent brand, eager to learn more about its watches.
While I struggle to remember what I had for breakfast this morning, I have never forgotten my initial meeting with Delma. Why? The reason is simple – in an industry where hyperbole is sometimes used to embellish the mediocre, there is something endearing about Delma’s no-nonsense approach to making and marketing watches. Indeed, there is a welcome absence of famous brand ambassadors, ‘influencers’ or costly sports sponsorship, just a laser-like focus on delivering quality products at keen prices.
Democratising fine watches
Following our initial meeting, Delma subsequently lent me a divers’ model – the Delma Blue Shark III. Housed in a steel case, measuring 47 mm in diameter, the model came equipped with a helium valve. Presented on a stainless steel bracelet, it was also supplied with an additional rubber strap. With its reassuring heft and impressive water resistance of 4000 m, I remember thinking at the time that if there was ever a nuclear apocalypse, the only two things that would survive would be insects and this Delma timepiece! Moreover, the über-robust watch was simple to read and had a remarkably keen price of £1750 (RRP as at 2.5.2019).
Sometime later, I visited the brand’s headquarters in Lengnau, a small village where the majority of residents speak Swiss German. On this occasion, my host showed me the Shell Star Bronze, another divers’ watch. Like the Blue Shark III, it too was powered by an ETA automatic movement. At the time, bronze watches were being sold for over £2000 (some for a lot more), but the Delma had a recommended retail price of £1290 (as at 31.10.20219).
In 2024, to coincide with its 100th anniversary, Delma introduced its inaugural tourbillon, the 1924 Tourbillon. The initial examples of this model were sold on a souscription basis for CHF 8,900, making it one of the cheapest tourbillons on the market at the time. Equipped with a Swiss movement, the watch was presented on a steel bracelet and also came with an additional Italian calf leather strap. The Swiss marque has since released new variants of the 1924 Tourbillon, including two references featuring a ‘Guilloche’ dial, both of which retail for a highly accessible £12,900 (RRP as of 22.9.2026).
Since my introduction to the brand in Basel, I have handled many Delma products. Not only does the family firm offer watches that deliver an impressive quality/price ratio, but it has also democratised several materials and complications that hitherto were prohibitively expensive for many horophiles.
Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic – dial
Recently, Delma unveiled the Midland Meteorite Automatic, a limited edition of 100 pieces, retailing for £1500. Featuring a dial crafted from Muonionalusta meteorite, this model, once again, subscribes to the brand’s egalitarian approach to luxury watchmaking. Indeed, peruse the Googlesphere and you will find several watches featuring meteorite dials with five-figure price tags.
The Muonionalusta meteorite was discovered in Sweden circa 1906 and is believed to be around 4.5 billion years old. Composed of approximately 90% iron and 10% nickel with some traces of cobalt, the material is cut, polished and treated with a weak acid solution. This latter process accentuates the material’s arrangement of crystalline lines or geometric patterns known as ‘Widmanstätten patterns’. Each resultant watch dial has its own unique appearance, granting a sense of exclusivity; a quality much appreciated by luxury consumers.
The fulsome hour and minute hands are faceted, lined with Super-LumiNova and feature truncated tips. The hours are denoted with applied, luminescent rectangular indexes, replicating the profile of said hands. A fine central seconds hand orbits the dial. It has a pillar-box red tip – the only burst of colour in an otherwise monochromatic scene. The date is shown at 3 o’clock and a neat minute track fringes the dial.
Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic – case
Measuring 40.5 mm in diameter, the tonneau-shaped case oozes modernity courtesy of its crisp angular lines and fluted bezel. The crown nestles between the sturdy shoulders of a crown protector, while the three-row bracelet integrates neatly with the watchhead, appearing smooth and graceful.
Both the case and bracelet are satin-brushed and feature polished bevelled edges. The watch secures to the wrist with a folding clasp, equipped with pushers.
Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic – movement
A pane of sapphire crystal, positioned to the rear of the watch, invites curious eyes to examine the self-winding movement within – the Sellita SW200-1. Tried and tested, Sellita movements prove simple for a competent watchmaker to service or repair. In this instance, the movement has been equipped with a ‘DELMA-customised rotor’.
Closing remarks
When creating meteorite dials, the process of slicing, polishing and acid etching can lead to the material fracturing, rendering the discs of material unusable, a scenario that inevitably heightens cost. However, as the watch industry gains a greater understanding of working with meteorites and embraces new technology, such as using EDM (electrical discharge machining), production yields may improve, potentially making meteorite dials more affordable. Nevertheless, focussing on the here and now, what is abundantly clear is that Delma has already democratised the meteorite dial, making it available to a wider audience.
Perhaps Delma has achieved this feat by utilising said technology or by operating on slimmer margins than its rivals. Certainly, unlike some brands that spend exorbitant sums sponsoring sports personalities or movie stars, Delma has chosen to invest its money into the product, not the associated fluff. Likewise, the brand from Lengnau does not squander money on erecting fancy exhibition stands at trade shows, choosing to focus on the essential. In fact, on reflection, when I think back to 2019 and the modest function room at the Pullman Hotel, the clues were already there.
Technical specifications
- Model: Delma Midland Meteorite Automatic
- Reference: 41701.740.6.731
- Case: stainless steel, diameter 40.5 mm, height 14 mm, water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to the front and rear
- Functions: hours, minutes, centre seconds, date
- Movement: Sellita SW200-1, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 26 jewels, power reserve 41 hours
- Strap: brushed steel bracelet with polished edges and folding clasp with pushers
- Price: £1500 (RRP as of 22.9.2026)
- Limited Edition: 100 pieces